Equalizing valve



M. O. JOHNSTON EQUALI Z ING VALVE y sept. e, 193s.

Filed June 15, 1936 To/e MRDJCZJ C? STON W 'l ,4 fro/way /N VEN JOHN Patented sept. c, 193sY NUNITED STATES- EQUALIZING VALVE Mordica 0. Johnston, Glendale, Calif. Application June 13, 1936, Serial No. 85,081

e claim. (ci. isa- 1) standing above the packer and the iluld entrapped beneath the packer, such for example, as might occur in the operation of that class of tools known '10 as formation testers, an equalizing valve is used. A valve oi' this type is shown in Patent No. 1,842,270, issued to me on the 19th day of January. 1932, and entitled Oil well testing device. In this structure a bypass of fluid may be established from the area beneath the seated packer to the fluid column thereabove or vice versa, or depending upon the lrelative hydrostatic pressures of the two fiuids. -Insome instances it might be n bypass fuid dow may or may not take place in order to accomplish various operations, and it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an equalizing valve of the type here disclosed which may be manipulated from the top 25 of the well to be bpened and closed, and may be furthermore manipulated from the top `oi' the well tobe temporarily locked in its closed o r in its opened position.

The invention is illustrated by way of example 80 in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is aview in verticalsection showing a well packer and an equalizing valve of the type here .disclosed Awith the packer seated and the valve locked in its-closed position.

$5 Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section similar to that shown in Fig. -1 with the packer seated and the equalizing valve in its opened position.

Fig 3 is a' view in transverse section through the valve structure as seen on the line 2 3 of 40 Fig. 1 indicating the position of the spline and the shoulder when the valve is locked. v-

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 indicating the spline andthe shoulder when they are in their lockedv positions.

45 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in section showing the lower portion of the` tubular mandrel and the locking shoulder, and further disclosing ,therelation oithese parts with the splines which'are indicated'in dotted lines.; 1

50 Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0

indicates a drill string carrying a tubular mandrei IIA at its lower end. This mandrel extends into a sleeve I2 which is threaded atits lower end to a coupling I2 attached to an upper ntting` The packer here shown'is oi 55. I4 of a packer II.

desirable to lock the equalizing valve so that a the rot-hole type. It w111 be understood that lthe invention may be used with equal efiiciency with other types ofpackers, such for example as a sleeve packer.' or a hooked wall packer. The

packer is provided with a central tubular member 5 IB extending through the packing element and securedat its lower end to a coupling nut Il which carries a perforated nipple or anchor pipe The couplingv I3 is formed with a central passageway I! through it so Athat a fluid flow 1o may be established from below the seated packer into the perforated nipple I! and then upwardly through the pipe I8 into the packer iltting I4 and then through the passageway I2 of the coupling Il to a central passageway within the sleeve 15 I2 andthen through the tubular mandrel II to the passageway through the drill string I0. i 'Ihe tubularmandrel II is formed with Aa circumferentially arranged row of openings 2| through itswall, which openings are normally closed when 20 the mandrel is telescoped into the sleeve' I2, as shown in Fig. 1. and are in register'with the passageway 22 in a packing nut 23 when the mandrel II and the sleeve I2 are in the positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The packing nut 23 is 25 threaded Into the upper end of the sleeve I2 and tightens packing 24 around the mandrely Il to prevent leakage. The upper portion of the nut embodying the space. 22 is formed withan end wall having perfor-ations 25 through it. 'I'hus 30 when the mandrel II kis in its uppermost position a communication will be established through perforations 25 to the passageway 2'2 and then through perforations 2| into the tubular mandrel. In this way the hydrostatic pressure oi fluid in the column above the seated packer will be equal- Vized with the hydrostatic pressure of fluid below the packer.

In some instances it is desirable to lock the equalizing valve in an opened orclosed position so that the ilow oi' iluid may or may not be inaintained irrespective of vertical movement oi.` the drill string, and so that certain tests and other operations `might be carried on with or without equalization of theuids within the well above and below the seated packer as the circumstances may justify. It may be desirable also to lock the equalizing valve so that it will not accidentally change position as the tool is being lowered into the well or removedV therefrom. For that purpose an enlarged head 26 is formed o'n the lower end of the tubular mandrel II. YIt is shown in Fig, 5

-oi' the drawing as being substantially cylindrical,

and as providing a square face 2l for a purpose t9 be hereinafter exp1ained.` This head is formed 55 understood 2. with longitudinally extending keyways 28 Awhich have a circumferential` length of approximately 60. This makes it possible for limited rotation y sleeve I2 is a plurality oi splines 3l. These splines terminate a distance'short of the length .of the bore 3U at opposite ends suiiicient to form annularspaoes 3i and 3l to accommodate the head 2i when it has movedv beyond opposite ends of the splines 3i to make it possible-to rotate the tubular mandrel H so that the shoulders 21 will be out of register with the splines 3| so that when, the head 28 of mandrel Il is in position in either of the annular spaces 3i or I6 movement of the drill stem and the tubular mandrel il will not be accompanied by relative movement between the tubular mandrel il and the sleeve I2. It will be that ii desired the meeting edges of the ends of the splines Il and the co-operating iaces 2l oi the head 2i may be inclined so that relative rotation o! the tubular mandrel Il withinthe sleeve Il will produce a wedging and locking action to more drmly hold the parts' against relative movement when the head 26 is in either v oi the annular spaces or 3l.

In operation o! the present invention the equalizlng valve here shown is assembled with a suitable packer, such 'as the rathole packer i5, and' is connected to a drill stem lll, or a part of a tool with which the device is used, su'ch Ior example as the housing of a formation testing.

tool. As the structure is lowered through the standing column of mud duid within the well the tubular mandrel il and the sleeve I2 may assume the position indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing vand be locked by the engagement o! the shoulder 21 of the head and the end of the splines Il in the space or if desired the mandrel and the sleeve may .-be locked with relation to each other, as shownin Fig. 1 of the drawing. If so locked no bypass oi' duid will occurv through the device. Ii the tool is locked and is lowered into the well in the condition shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing then duid may freely equalize around and through the packer by reason of. the fact that the periorations v2i in the. mandrel Il are in register with the passageway 22, and this pas'- sageway is in turn in communication with the periorations 25 of the packing nut. When the' packer is lowered on to its seat as shown in Fig. m

2, or when it is properly set within the well, it will be evident-that the mandrel Il and its head 2| may be rotatedto bring its keyways 2l into register with splines 3l so that vertical movement of the mandrel ma! be accomplished. This will permit a downward movement ofthe tubular mandrel I-I with relation to the sleeve I2. 'Ihis downward movement will force the mandrel Il into the sleeve so that the 4periorations 2| will be closed in the body of the sleeve l2 as the lower end of the mandrel -I i encounters the-upperend of the coupling Such operations as may be desiredarethencarriedoutduringwhichtime the duid coliunn standing within the well above the packer will remain quiescent. Direct dow o! entrapped duid from the area below the packer may take place upwardly through the packer and the mandrel and into the tool or drill string generally indicated at Il in the'drawin. In the top of the well and to optionally open or close.

the valve.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the lspirit oi.' the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Batent is:

1. An equalizing valve for' oil well tools comprising a sleeve valve unit, including si. valve sleeve, a valve mandrel sliclable within said valve sleeve, the valve mandrel and the valve sleeve having ports which when moved to register will permit a dow of duid through the mandrel and the sleeve, a packer attached to one of said valve elements, a supporting drill string attached to the -drel may be edected, and means carried by the sleeve and the mandrel andadapted to be moved to interlocking positions whereby the sleeve and the mandrel will be locked against movement with relation to each other when the valve is closed and when the valve is opened.

i2. A well tool comprising a well packer, a valve structure comprising a valve sleeve adapted to be connected with said well packer, a valve mandrel reciprocating within said sleeve and adapted to be connected with a string of oil tools by which the valve structure and the packer are suspended within a well, the valve mandrel and the valve sleeve having ports through them adapted to be moved to and from registering positions when the mandrel and the sleeve have relative vertical movement-with relation to ea'ch other as produced by vertical movement of the supporting' `drill string, means splining the mandrel and the sleeve together whereby the mandrel and the sleeve may have limited relative rotation with relation to each other, and interlocking means carried by the valve sleeve and the mandrel whereby the valve and the sleeve may be rotated with relation to each other to lock the valve in a closed'position. y

3. A. well tool comprising a well packer, a valve structure comprising a valve sleeve adapted to be connected with said well packer, a valve mandrel reciprocating within to be connected with a string of oil tools by which the valve structure and the packer are suspended within a well, the-valve mandrel and the valve sleeve having ports through them adapted to be moved to and from registering positions when the mandrel and the sleeve have relative/ said sleeve and adapted- 4. A well tool comprising a packer carried byV a string of pipe and adapted to be set in a well, said packer having a passageway through it, a valve Ahousing carried by the packer, a tubular mandrel therein and attached to the pipe string, means providing relative longitudinal' movement of said mandrel and said valve housing, cooperating valve means on the mandrel and the housing whereby a bypass of fluid may occur' through the packer and into the Well when the valve is, open and said ow will be interrupted when the ialve is closed and cooperating means acting to rigidly lock the mandrel and the valve housing against relative longitudinal movement when said valve means is open and when said valve means is closed.

5. A well tool adapted to be connected with a string of pipe and carrying a packer having a uid passageway therethrough, a valve structure including a tubular housing carried by the packer,

- a tubular mandrel carried by the pipe string slid able within said housing and through which a iiuid course is established from the packer to the drill string, means providing relative longitudinal movement of said mandrel and said valve housing,

valve ports formed in the wall of the mandrel, sealing means therefor carried by said tubular housing whereby when the tubular mandrel and the housing are in collapsed position with relation to each other the ports will be closed by said sealing means and when in their extended position the ports will establi'shcommunication between the interior of the tubular mandrel and the well bore, and cooperating means between the housing and the tubular mandrel whereby said mandrel and housing may be locked against relative longitudinal movement in their collapsed and extended positions.

4 :6. A well tool adapted to be connected with a tubular string of pipe and carrying a packer. having a uid passageway therethrough, a valve structure including a tubular housing carried by thepacker, a tubular mandrel carried by the pipe string slidable. within said housing and through which a fluid course is established from the packer to the drill string, means providing longitudinal movement of said mandrel and said housing, valve ports formed in the Wall of the mandrel, sealing means therefor carried by said housing whereby when the tubular mandrel and said housing are in collapsed position with relation to each other the ports will`be closed by said sealing means and when in their extended position the ports will establish communication between the interior of the tubular mandrel and the well bore, and cooperating means between the housing and the tubular mandrel whereby said mandrel and housing may be locked against relative 1ongitudinal movement in their collapsed and extended positions, and means transmitting rotational movement from the tubular mandrel tothe housing.

MORDICA O. JOHNSTON. 

